George Dvorsky

Check out this highly original light fixture developed by MADLAB called Bacterioptica. Its spaghetti-like structure consists of over 15,000 feet (4,572 meters) of fiber optic cables that are attached to a series of petri dishes. And according to the instructions, owners are encouraged to grow cultures taken from samples of skin, mould, the yard — whatever. And as the bacteria grows within the petri dishes, the light emanating from the chandelier will likewise change and evolve.

The modular composition contains hundreds of metal rods, couplings, caps, and canisters, which provides a near-infinite array of design configurations.

Bacterioptica breaks from design norms, a light fixture outfitted with petri dishes. Designed to be adaptive, not only in its form and mechanics, but more importantly, in the way it evolves. Bacterioptica is not your typical chandelier, just as no family is a typical unit of interactions. Its on/off switch does not control it. Bacterioptica is alive. It grows. It is itself a household organism. It is living and breathing the same air and bacteria we are.